WO1997012468A2

WO1997012468A2 - Method of handling incoming calls to communication systems with automatic call distribution for busy agent-communication terminals

Info

Publication number: WO1997012468A2
Application number: PCT/DE1996/001679
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erich Drobek
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1995-09-25
Filing date: 1996-09-06
Publication date: 1997-04-03
Also published as: EP0852875A2; CN1197568A; EP0852875B1; DE19535540C1; CN1149822C; WO1997012468A3

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of handling incoming calls to a communication system with automatic call distribution for busy agent-communication terminals. The method according to the invention is used to handle incoming calls (ar) to a communication system with automatic call distribution (ACD), which calls are to be transferred to different groups (G) of agent-communication terminals (AKE). According to the invention, rejected incoming calls (ar) for which free agent-communication terminals (AKE) in the respective group (G) are no longer available are entered in a loss list (VL) and a preferred call-handling procedure is initiated as a function of the number and frequency of the entry. The preferred call-handling procedure is, for example, an automatic call-back when the agent-communication terminal (AKE) becomes free or diversion of the incoming call (ar) to a special agent-communication terminal (AKE). By means of additional logging and display, incoming calls (ar) to communication systems (KS) with automatic call distribution can be optimally dimensioned and handled.

Description

description

Method for handling calls arriving at communication systems with automatic call distribution for busy agent communication terminals

For a convenient switching of calls arriving at communication systems of a communication network to specified groups of agent communication terminals, these are equipped with an automatic call distribution function. Automatic call distribution - also known in the art as ACD - is essentially due to a data processing system connected to the respective communication systems, e.g. implemented an ACD server. An ACL interface (Application Connectivity Link) is provided in both devices for the communication exchange between the communication system and the ACD server. The MSV1 procedure or another transmission protocol can be used as the transmission procedure, for example. A program structure is implemented in the communication system, with the aid of which the switching events, in particular the incoming calls, in particular are reported to the ACD server by event messages, and the switching instructions transmitted by the ACD server via the ACL interface are carried out . In relation to automatic call distribution, these are in particular the transfer of incoming calls to agent communication terminals ascertained by the automatic call distribution.

In the case of automatic call distribution, a service number is assigned to a group of agent communication terminals, for example, a number of a company is assigned a number of call acceptance communication terminals - for example, a number of call acceptance locations. The service number here represents a service communication connection - represents a conventional communication terminal connection - to which a service communication terminal is connected. For this service communication terminal is set up to forward a call to a saddle connection to which the agent communication terminals which are to form the desired group are assigned. An incoming call with a service number is transferred to the hunt group by the set call forwarding and held there. At the same time, the arrival of a call for this service number is reported to the ACD server by corresponding event messages. With the help of the automatic call distribution implemented in the ACD server, a free agent communication terminal becomes the

Group determined or determined and the incoming call to daε certain agent communication terminal switched or switched. The transfer is initiated by a switching instruction transmitted from the ACD server to the communication system. Thanks to the automatic call distribution, incoming calls can be held in a queue, music recordings or announcements can be shown during the hold time and, in the case of fully occupied agent communication terminals, these can be forwarded to the recording and answering device or rejected.

For the automatic call distribution function, a hunt group with a real subscriber is configured in the private communication system, which is represented by a service communication terminal connected to a service communication connection. A call folder is required for this hunt group to collect and monitor incoming calls. For these functions, the monitoring function "hunt group status monitoring" is provided in the private communication system and, moreover, a switching function is implemented, with the aid of which it is possible to couple incoming calls to the free agent communication terminal in the call state. In an alternative embodiment of a communication system, the incoming calls are controlled directly to a hunt group with a call folder, the service number being a virtual leε service communication terminal or a virtual one

Service communication port represents.

In such communication systems with automatic call distribution, incoming calls are rejected in the call folder - for example, implemented on a call distribution group - when all the communication terminals intended for automatic call distribution or all processor telephones are busy and, in addition, all additional memory locations of the call folder are already occupied by waiting calls.

The object on which the invention is based is to improve the handling of rejected calls arriving at a communication system with automatic call distribution. The object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

The essential aspect of the method according to the invention can be seen in the fact that the calling communication terminal identifying identifications of rejected, incoming calls are recorded and entered in a list of losses. If the respective identification has already been entered in the loss list, the incoming call is noted in a counter assigned to the identification. In addition to counting the incoming, rejected calls, the time period between two call attempts or several call attempts can be determined - claim 2. Thereupon, different preferred call handling can be initiated according to the invention.

A preferred call handling is to be seen in the fact that, depending on the number and frequency of identifications entered in the loss list, a new incoming call to a special agent communication terminal AKE provided for the processing of calls entered in the lost VL is initiated - claim 3. The special agent communication terminal or this processing telephone is set up specifically for processing, for example, two or more rejected incoming calls.

A further preferred call handling can consist in that, depending on the number and the frequency of identifications entered in the loss list, after a busy agent communication terminal is freed from it, a connection to the communication terminal determined by the respective identification is established 4. A further preferred call handling consists in that, depending on the number and the frequency of identifications entered in the lost list, at least one further agent communication terminal or another worker telephone is activated. Activation can be carried out, for example, by a further processing person - claim 5.

The identifications are advantageously represented in digital communication networks or analog communication networks with digital communication systems by the call number of the calling communication terminal - claim 6 - and in analog communication networks by a post-dial number - claim 7.

For subsequent statistics or evaluation of the loss lists, including the counters and the recorded time periods, logging for this information and visualization on a screen device is particularly advantageous - claim 8. Dimensioning with regard to the number of data logs is possible due to this logging and visualization Agent communication terminals can be set up much easier in the respective times of the day. The method according to the invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a block diagram and a flow chart. Show:

1 shows a block diagram of a communication system with automatic call distribution with a data processing system, and FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the method according to the invention.

1 shows a communication system KS, for example the private communication system HICOM 300 from the Siemens company, which is equipped with the "automatic call distribution" function. To implement this automatic call distribution - known in the art as ACD = Automatic Call Distribution - the private communication system KS is connected to an ACD server ACD-S via an ACL interface S-ACL (Application Connectivity Link). An ACL program structure ACL is provided both in the ACD server ACD-S and in the communication system KS, by means of which the procedural and physical properties of the ACL interface S-ACL - in particular a V.24 interface - are implemented . In the communication system KS, the ACL program structure ACL is connected to a server control DGV, with the aid of which an ACL protocol used between the ACD server ACD-S and the communication system KS is used

(Applications Connectivety Link Protocol) or procedural ACL interface. With the help of this message-acknowledgment-oriented protocol, calls arriving at the communication system KS are received in accordance with the applications implemented in the ACD server ACD-S - indicated in FIG. 1 by rectangles with the designation API to APn - by transmitting defined messages daε communication system KS controlled. Furthermore, with the help of messages from this protocol, the incoming calls ar including the transmitted identifications id are transmitted to the ACD server ACD-S in the sense of an evaluation or evaluation. The server control DGV and the ACL program structure ACL are in the Korn communication system KS, for example, arranged in an integrated industrial technology server ISp.

The server controller DGV additionally has a connection to a switching matrix KF of the private communication system KS equipped with a controller KST. Via this connection, the incoming calls ar are influenced with regard to a further connection control. Furthermore, the stereo control DGV has a switching "monitoring" function, detected by all switching events in the communication system KS and reported to the ACD server ACD-S via event ACI via the ACL interface ACL. With the help of these event messages ei, the "automatic call distribution" function is implemented in the ACD server ACD-S. Conversely, switching instructions amo formed in the ACD server ACD-S are transmitted to the server control DVG and this triggers the respective switching setting, for example switching the switching of an incoming call ar to a free one by the automatic call distribution determined agent communication terminal AKE.

Agent communication terminals AKE intended for automatic call distribution are essentially direct, i.e. internally connected to the communication system KS and represent the agents of a group G with automatic call distribution. The incoming calls ar come from a communication network KN - for example the public ISDN communication network or the public telephone network, but also from internal ones, not as Agent communication terminals AKE contoured communication terminals.

For the "automatic call distribution" function, a hunt group SA with a real subscriber is set up in the communication system KS; in practice, a service communication terminal SKE is connected to a service communication connection SKA for this purpose. Through one for the service Communication terminal SKE set call forwarding AUL - indicated by a rectangle with the designation AUL - incoming calls ar are forwarded ar with the service number addressing the service communication connection SKA to the collective connection SA. For this hunt group SA, a function "call folder" is implemented in the server control DGV, with the aid of which incoming calls ar in the call state to the agent communication terminal AKE determined by automatic call distribution, by a function "transfer" initiated by the ACD server ACD-S , in practice, an internal communication terminal BKE is switched over.

Furthermore, the incoming folder AO in the server control DGV detects all incoming calls ar from external communication terminals KE and holds them until further processing or puts them in a queue according to the number of available storage spaces in the case of occupied agent communication terminals AKE. Additional incoming calls ar if the storage space of the call folder AO, i.e. at maximum queue, rejected, the respective incoming calls ar being indicated to the calling communication terminal by a suitable signaling as being busy. The handling of such rejected, incoming calls ar is shown in FIG. 2 on the basis of a flow diagram that explains itself. The loss list VL provided for this purpose is implemented in the call folder (AO) - see FIG. 1. In this loss list VL, with the help of a loss routine VR implemented in terms of program technology, an identification id is usually used for rejected, incoming calls ar - usually the call number of the communication end calling In the case of several rejections, the number of rejections n in a counter Z and additionally the time periods zdi..zdii, which are measured between the rejections, are entered in a time period field ZD.

At about the same time as the treatment shown in FIG. 2, an incoming call ar when the call folder AO is busy with the help of a log routine PR, logging of the detected identification id as well as the determined meter readings (n) and time periods (zdi) is possible. By means of this logging and later visualization on a screen device BE connected to the integrated operating technology server ISp, an optimal dimensioning of processor telephones or of agent communication terminals AKE is possible.

The realization of the loss list VL and the loss routine VR is alternatively possible in the ACD server ACD-S on the basis of the transmitted event messages ei, which also indicate the switching status of the call folder AO. In this variant, the message traffic which is essentially handled by the ACL program structure increases, the evaluation and processing of the ACD-S carried out in the ACD server

Loss list VL however relieves the central control ST.

The server control DGV shown in FIG. 1 controls, as explained above, the performance feature "automatic call distribution" and, moreover, in cooperation with the ACD server ACD-S - can also be implemented in this - additional performance features, such as telephone service or for example and variable call diversion for all internal communication terminals AKE.

Claims

claims

1. Method for handling calls (ar) arriving at a communication system (KS) provided in a communication network (KN) with automatic call distribution, which are initialized by communication terminals of the communication network (KN), the incoming calls ( ar) recorded in the communication system (KS) with the aid of a call folder (AO) as well as held and communicated to the communication system (KS) connected to the automatic call distribution and free agent communication terminals (AKE),

- In the case of incoming calls (ar), which are rejected due to a busy call folder (AO), - either an identification (id), which identifies the calling communication terminal KE and is transmitted with the incoming call (ar), is recorded, and is also recorded in a list (VL ) is entered, - or, if the respective identification (id) has already been entered, the incoming call (ar) is noted in a counter (Z) assigned to the respective identification (id), and

- In which preferential call handling is initiated for the calls (ar) entered in the list (VL).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of incoming, rejected calls (ar) with the same identification (id) additionally the time period (zdi) between two call attempts is determined and related to the respective identification (id) in the loss list (VL) is entered.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, depending on the number and frequency of identifications (id) entered in the loss list (VL), a new incoming call (ar) to a special one for the treatment of calls entered in the loss list (VL) (ar) provided agent communication terminal (AKE) is passed.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that as a function of the number and frequency of entered in the loss list (VL) identifications (id) after the vacancy of a busy agent communication terminal device (AKE) a connection to this which is established by the respective identification (id) agent communication terminal (AKE).

5. The method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, depending on the number and the frequency of identifications (id) entered in the loss list (VL), further agent communication terminals (AKE) are activated .

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification (id) in digital communication networks (ISDN) is represented by the call number of the calling communication device.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identification (id) in analogue communication networks (FE) is represented by a post-dialing number.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loss list (VL) including the counter readings (n) and the associated time periods (zdi) is logged and can be visualized on a screen device (BE).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the incoming calls (ar) recorded in the call folder (AO) including the identifications (id) in the communication system (KS) with the aid of an ACD control program. gram structure (DGV) are reported by event messages (ei) transmitted to a connected ACD server ACD-S via a defined interface V (ACL), that in the ACD server ACD-S with the help of an ACD program structure ACD which realizes the automatic call distribution switching-related information (amo) is formed and transmitted via the defined interface (ACL) to the ACD control program structure (DGV) implemented in the communication system (KS), with the aid of which the incoming calls (ar) are transmitted in accordance with the transmitted mediation instructions (amo) are mediated.